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AQUASIM AS A PRESIMULATION TOOL OF TRACER TESTS AT FULL

SCALE WWTP.
A N Flores*, N J Loaiza**, C Fall*
Universidad Autnoma del Estado de Mxico (UAEM), Centro Interamericano de Recursos del Agua (CIRA).
Toluca, Mxico, Mxico, alamofn@gmail.com; cfall@uaemex.mx,
** Servicios de Agua y Drenaje de Monterrey (SADM), Monterrey, N. Len, Mxico, jloaizan@prodigy.net.mx
*

Abstract. Hydraulic modeling is very important part to model a full scale WWTP; therefore
it may be necessary to realize a tracer test, however this test many times results expensive
and difficult to conduct due to the uncertainty about the amount of tracer that is necessary,
more especially in the case of full scale WWTP. Instead of trial-error approach, a good
alternative option is carry out a presimulation in the environment of a simulator such as
Aquasim, which allows considers the possible results of the tracer test, help to fix the
duration and frequency of sampling, as well as to model the hydraulics. The present work
illustrates how simulation approach can be used for planning and calibration tasks of tracer
tests.
Keywords: Tracer test, Aquasim, Presimulation.

INTRODUCTION
The wastewater treatment in Mexico, in the last decade has received a strong impulse and it is
considered as one of the main strategies adopted to preserve the quality of the water, to guarantee
the sustainable development, to improve the quality of life and to protect the public health
(Romero et al., 1996). However, many wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) it is outside of
operation because do not work resemblance to like it was designed and lack of training of the
operators and absence of financier recourses or simply, it is outside of service.
The activated sludge processes are the most applied treatment system due to efficiency in
the organic material removal in comparison to others treatment process, for example stabilization
ponds (second treatment processes the most application in Mxico).
Modeling is a good tool to improve (to start up the WWTP that is downtime) the WWTP
performance. Currently, has been develop several environmental simulators (Aquasim, Biowin,
GPS-X) disposal to optimize the WWTP, however to used one of this simulator and obtain a good
description of the processes is necessary carry out a set of experimental test and exhaustive
measuring campaign (Petersen et al., 2002).
The established of hydraulic model that describes the reactor performance of activated
sludge is the first stage, because the efficiency of the activated sludge process not only depends
on the biomass into the reactor. The mixing properties too are very important in the performance
of a WWTP. Therefore, knowledge of the hydrodynamic behavior is needed to optimize a full
scale WWTP through modelling. Herewith, it is possible to predict the disturbances and effect
(e.g. the substrate concentration the biomass are exposed to and the time of exposure) of
environmental behavior (De Clercq et al., 1999).
Many mathematical models for hydraulic reactors design exist in the literature, but the
tanks-in-series (Ec. 1) model is the most popular and easy to implement in the activated sludge
reactor. However, this model only gives the overall system response but does not consider the
local mixing properties of the reactor.

t n1

E (t )

e
n 1 ! n

(Ec. 1)

One technique to determine the mixing properties in activated sludge process is to carry
out a tracer test, to establish the hydraulic behavior of the process (Coen et al., 1998; De Clercq
et al., 1999; Fall et al., 2006). Normally, the full-scale process may experience severe shortcircuiting and severe dead-spaces compared to the ideal plug-flow scheme that is supposed
during their design. Therefore, the precise amount of tracer needed is difficult to predict without
conducting some preliminary experiments, such as in a trial-error approach (Fall and Loaiza,
2007; WEF, 1998; Hart, 1994). WEF (1998) prompts that a first estimate can be made by setting
the mass of tracer added, divided by the reactor volume, to a concentration level that is slightly
above the detection range of the colorant. Hart (1994) proposes to make use of one equation
which includes a parameter f that is in the range of 0.25 to 2 and depends on the shape that will
have the curve of result, which is difficult to fix a priori. The New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation (1998) proposes a calculation method in which a tracer volume
required concern to the amount that allows a homogeneous concentration of 100 g/L to be
reached in the entire volume of tracer were mixed in a volume of wastewater entering in the tank
in a one minute period.
Nevertheless, the development of simulators will improve the understanding of processes
and one can realize a presimulation test to calculate more exactly the tracer amount that is
needed, based in simple flow patterns with tanks-in-series model. Aquasim is a tool that allows
creates from simple to complex networks of interconnected elementary reactors and makes
possible to get better results more easily. Aquasim is a very advisable program for the
investigation, since it allows understanding the importance of each one of the parameters
involved in the pattern (Reichert, 1998 a).
The aim of the present work is illustrates how simulation approach can be used for
planning and calibration tasks of tracer tests, based on the case of a full scale WWTP.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The procedure consists in carrying out a presimulation of the tracer test (with Rhodamine
WT, at 20 % active ingredient) in a simulator, in which are used the nominal design data as well
as total influent flowrate, total return sludge flowrate, sludge waste flowrate. If dynamic
information of the flows is available, one can realize a more exact presimulation. The flow
diagram of the WWTP that is used in this example, as well as the value of the nominal flows are
presented in Figure 1 and Table 1.
Symbol

Table 1 Nominal hydraulic operational data of the WWTP


Description
Values

Qin_tot
Qrec_tot
Q_river
Q_was

Total influent flowrate


Total return sludge flowrate
River flowrate
Sludge waste flowrate

4500 m3/h
2880 m3/h
10800 m3/h
315 m3/h

V_RC
V_VLR
V_Clarif.
V_river
V_well
Frac_Qin
Frac_Qrec
Frac_
Q_clarif.

Total volume for each of the two


central tanks
Total volume of each of the two lateral
tanks
Total volume of each of clarifiers
Volume of river
Volume of the wells and canal RAS
Influent fraction to each reactors
Return sludge fraction to each reactors
Discharge fraction of reactors to each
clarifiers

17 830 m3; 2 first of 2180 and the other


five of 2694 each one
4640 m3; 1 VLR X 3040 m3 and 1 FB
X 1600 m3
2 Clarifier of 3040 m3 and one of 7860
m3
4000 m3 (assumed)
5 m3 for wells 1 and 2 and 240 m3 for
channel RAS (well 3)
0.4 and 0.1 for central an lateral lines
0.4 and 0.1 for central an lateral lines
0.324 for clarifier 1 and 3: 0.353 for
clarifier 2

Aquasim was used for the task of simulation by implementing a flow diagram of the plant
and reactors to represent the full scale WWTP.
First, it is necessary to update the WWTP flow diagram, based on a visit at the plant,
interviews with the operators, in general with all related with the operation of the plant. In second
place, one must propose and implement a tanks-in-series model that describes the full-scale plant,
and from which information is derived to estimate the amount of rhodamine WT necessary and
the ideal sampling interval. Third, one can realize the tracer test and makes the sampling based on
the previous information.

Figure 1 Flow diagram for presimulation of the WWTP.

The layout of the WWTP, as it was implemented in Aquasim, is presented in Figure 1.


This plant consist of primary treatment (bar screens and aerated grit chamber, without primary
sedimentation) and secondary treatment (activated sludge with circular clarifiers, disinfection
process and sludge treatment).
RESULTS
The nominal data shown in Table 1 were used for the presimulation. The results of the presimulation (lines) and experimental data (circles) of the tracer test are given in Figure 2a and 2b.
These curves are representative of tracer response at the outflow of each compartment in the
reactors. However, last curve (final compartment) is the most important because let establish the
sampling rate and their sampling frequency.
The properly presimulation responses are prospective to theoretical with a tank in series
of completely mixed. Volume of rhodamine WT inject to central reactor was adjusting to 6 liters
(1.8 liters to VLR), with this a maxim concentration of 0.08 mg/L was assured in the exit of the
reactors and 0.002 mg/L at the discharge river. Currently (in Mxico) does not exist a maximum
level permissible about of rhodamine WT, anyway is important that people that lives around the
discharge river are not alerted for the red color water, so is important establish the practical rules
to carry out a successful tracer test.
a)

b)

Figure 2 Curves of response to presimulation and injection of Rhodamine WT (circles in the


right curves) in the last compartments of central reactor and lateral reactor

With the curves presented at the right of Figure 2, it was possible to define a sampling
schedule:
a) First, for the central reactor Rc, the total sampling time was fixed to 20 hours (that is 3 times
more than the retention time of 5.3 hours) in which a sampling frequency of 30 min is chosen for
the first hour, followed by 15 minutes intervals for 9 hours more, and 1 hour interval after for 10
hours.
b) For the lateral reactor (VLR, Figure 2b), the duration of sampling were pre-fixed to 15 hours
while the sampling intervals were chosen as 15 min during the first 7 hours and 1 hour for the
remaining time.
Moreover, the experimental data were adequately fit with the model that is proposed for
the simulation. The method used to calculate the quantity of rhodamine WT to add is then
considered as an excellent tool it provides good results.
The amount of rhodamine WT calculate with Hart (1994) and NYSDEC (1998) barely 25
y 18 mL, respectively, whereby this methods are inaccurate with full scale WWTP.
CONCLUSIONS
The tracer test is a very important test that allows defining the hydraulic behavior of biological
reactors, but many times, realizing this test may result very expensive because of the difficulty to
establish the amount of tracer needed. Carrying out a presimulation may solve that problem;
however it is necessary to know the process. This procedure will decrease the tracer test cost,
provided the presimulation is well made.
Moreover, the experimental data were adequately fit with the model that is proposed for
the simulation.
The method used to calculate the quantity of rhodamine WT to add is then considered as
an excellent tool it provides good results.
The tracer volume calculated with the presimulation test in Aquasim (or other simulator)
is most realistic in comparison with the other methods since these are very low. Under dosing is
obviously more detrimental to the test validity and would necessitate re-testing.

REFERENCES
De Clercq, B., Coen, F., Vanderhaegen, B. y Vanrolleghem, P. (1999) Calibrating simple models for mixing and flow
propagation in waste water treatment plants, Water Science and Technology, 39(4), 61-69.
Department of Environmental Conservation. (1998) Wet Weather Operating Practice for POTWs with Combined
Sewers. Technology Transfer Document, Appendix C.
Fall, C. y Loaiza, N. J. (2007) Design of a tracer test experience and dynamic calibration of the hydraulic model for a
full-scale wastewater treatment plant by use of AQUASIM, Water Environmental Research, 79(8), 893-900.
Hart, Frederick L. (1994) Tracer analysis of final clarifier and chlorine contact chamber. Ph.D. Thesis presented at
The AWWARF Tracer Study Workshop, Denver, Co.
Petersen, B., Gernaey, K., Henze, M., Vanrolleghem, P.A. (2002) Evaluation of an ASM1 model calibration
procedure on a municipalindustrial wastewater treatment plant, Journal of Hydroinformatics, 4 (1), 15-38.

Reichert, P. (1998a) AQUASIM 2.0 User. Manual Computer Program for the Identication and Simulation of Aquatic
Systems, Swiss Federal Institute for Environmental Science and Technology (EAWAG) Dubendorf Switzerland.
Romero, A H, Garca, O J y Janetti, D J. (1996) Las vicisitudes de las plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales en
Mxico. Ingeniera Civil 330, 12-18.
WEF. (1998) Design of municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants, Manual of Practice 8 ASCE Manual and Report
Engineering Practice, Fourth edition, No. 76. Vol. Z.

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